Bones of a Child
by silver replies
Summary: Rydia and Edge find asylum in each other's solitude; together, they find redemption and learn to mature while they prepare for the upcoming war.


The cruelty of the world overwhelmed her; it took its joy in personally torturing her, it seemed, and stealing all that was holy and precious to the summoner. It was all so sudden, the innocence of her life being taken from her in the most harsh and unreserved manner. Society was unforgiving, Rydia realized. It was her personal punishment, her own burden and justice, even, that she _must_ have such things happen to her. Mt. Ordeals called to her, but she was still a young girl in the body of a woman. Rydia was unforgiving and sorrowful and felt shame when she still placed blame in Cecil and Kain. She was not worthy of redemption or penance, yet; the gods noticed this and took heed, vengeance and malice among them. They were thieves who held authority over life; and now, _she_ was gone.

Cuore was dead.

The gods were hypocrites; was there no greater injustice than stealing a child from its mother? To take life without purpose was the greatest sin, but Cuore's unmoving body appeared peaceful, as if she were sleeping. There was no sign of violence, no bleeding wounds or burns on the child. Still, Rydia knew that the death was not natural; she could practically _taste_ the malignant magic lingering in the air. A stranger had been here – it was even written in the stars, the absence of the True Moon and the apparent increasing proximity of the Red Moon. Rydia pursed her lips; did this mean another oncoming battle for the Blue Planet? Baron was flourishing economically, as well as Fabul; but what of Damycan? Edward, with his gentle disposition, would surely not be able to handle another blow to his kingdom. And Eblan… she shuddered, realizing that Edge was to visit Mist soon, given that today was the date they had agreed Cuore's "birthday" to be – or would have been. A quiet voice in her head muttered, longing for her spirit. _She would have been eight_.

The maternal part of Rydia wept for her lost daughter and the child-like part of her wept for her mother, who had died many years ago. But Rydia the summoner, the woman who had grown up among hallowed monsters, did not weep. She was a hero and the fate of the people came first before personal grievances and revenge. It was her responsibility to alert the others of the oncoming perils that they would soon face. Now, she thought, it was more convenient that Edge was set to visit on this particular day. It would not only spare her the trouble of warning him, but also the trouble of explaining Cuore's death. She cringed, trying to imagine his reaction... he would no doubt respond in the same way he had to his parents death – blindly go out to seek vengeance, failing to see the big picture at hand. Despite the king's newfound maturity, such an event would no doubt bring out the worst of him – in this case, the 21-year old boy she had first been acquainted with at the Tower of Babil. She silently awaited his arrival, sitting near the shrubbery by the small pond. "Hello, Edge," she greeted nonchalantly. As usual, the ninja was lurking in the shadows of the nearby house.

"Where's Cuore?" he questioned, stepping out of the darkness to stand next to Rydia. She bit her lip in hesitation, diverting her gaze. He looked at her sternly, clearing his throat. "Well?" Shaking his head, Edge made his way to the house. Rydia turned away. "Cuore! Cuore?" She heard another door open following by an uncomfortable, looming silence. Again, the mother in her seemed to cry out in agony; and, perhaps, if it existed, the small part of her that was Edge's seared in pain. He carried their child – for in fact, Cuore had been Edge's as much as she had been her own – out of her room, stroking her hair and singing old lullabies in Eblan's ancient tongue. He laid her down on the grass gently, closing her eyes.

"Edge …" Rydia paused, knowing her efforts at comforting him would be useless. They had both lost so much. They had been forced into a life that was not theirs – forced into adulthood when it was not rightly deserved. "The Red Moon, it's coming closer." She freezes as he brings his hand up to meet her face, brushing away a strand of hair. They stare at each other for a time, not fully knowing the extent of their loss. Edge was first to start laughing, followed shortly by Rydia.

"The war's never really over for us, is it?" he observed begrudgingly. Rydia smiled at this, her heart wrenching miserably as Edge took off his mask to cover Cuore's face... a sad but funny joke, it was. The two stood together in shared melancholy and mourning, wondering when nature would ever be at peace with herself.


End file.
